The present invention relates to multi-row agricultural row crop field cultivators. More specifically, the present invention relates to a soil deflector arrangement for such cultivators so as to facilitate increased speeds of cultivation.
In present day commercial agriculture, many crops are planted in rows which are spaced a predetermined distance from one another and extend parallel to one another over the length of the field or along the contour of the land. Soybeans and corn are typical crops which are planted in such rows. These row crops are cultivated with a row crop cultivator one or more times during their life cycle.
Various multi-row crop cultivators have been used to cultivate row crops for many years. The primary purpose of these row crop cultivators is to kill and destroy weeds that have begun to grow between the rows and between the individual plants in a row. These cultivators typically include cultivator shovels mounted on cultivator shanks so as to be selectively lowered into a position penetrating the soil between the crop rows. When in a lowered position, the cultivator, usually by means of a tractor carrying, pushing, or pulling the cultivator, is moved along the length of the rows and the cultivator shovels lift the top inch or two of soil with consequent destruction of weeds that have begun to grow. An added benefit of row crop cultivation is the aeration of the soil to enhance the growth and health of the crop. Row crop cultivators can include cultivator shovels which have a deeper cultivation for alleviating compaction in the soil and thereby accommodate better crop root growth.
Exemplary row crop cultivators with which the present invention could be used include commercially available Case Model 183 rear-mounted cultivators, John Deere Model 825 cultivators, and Yetter Model 4400 and 4500 cultivators.
Most cultivator shovels lift the soil in an essentially uncontrollable fashion so that the soil flies in the air and can cause damage to the row crop plants, especially when they are small. This is especially a problem when the soil is compacted such that it slides or flies off of the shovels in clods or clumps. There have been many types of cultivator shields proposed in the past for preventing the soil from damaging the crop when it is small. Most of these shields utilize vertically extending shield members which prevent lateral movement of the soil that is lifted by the cultivator shovels, so that the soil cannot laterally move to damage the adjacent crop row. There have also been cultivator shield arrangements which include an essentially U-shaped arrangement with vertical side shields and top shields extending adjacent and over the top of the cultivator shovel. U.S. Pat. No. 3,680,648 to Tonsfeldt is an example of a cultivator with such a combination vertical side shield and top shield arrangement.
There have also been horizontal shield arrangements proposed for deep tilling soil ripping implements such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,781,253 and 4,828,041 to Cosson. These shield arrangements for the deep tilling arrangements are designed to be located very close to the soil during use and include suggestions regarding actually serving to contact the soil so as to guide the loosened soil around the base of growing crops in the rows. These shields are constructed with multiple parts for each depending shank supporting a deep tilling implement.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,065,174 to Dutour describes an earth dirt stop for cultivator shovels which is adjustably movable from a position laterally of a cultivator shovel to a position directly above and in front of a cultivator shovel. This earth stop is specifically designed to prevent dirt from riding high and over the shovels and is apparently not concerned with the high speed cultivating arrangements of modern day agriculture wherein the cultivator shovels are sized and configured so that the soil actually flies upward above the cultivator shovels.
U.S. Pat. No. 311,909 to Miller discloses a plow fender which is to be disposed at one side of a plow and is designed to control the earth as it leaves the plow and to also hill the crop, forcing the earth into hills around the plants during cultivating operations. Thus, this arrangement is not concerned with the high speed modern cultivators contemplated by the present invention wherein the cultivator shovels are causing the soil to fly upwardly as the cultivator moves along the crop row.
The present invention is related to a cultivator arrangement for a multi-row agriculture field cultivator which has cultivator shovels which in use will cause upward flying movement of soil as the cultivator moves along the crop rows. More specifically, the present invention is related to an improved soil deflector arrangement which permits in a very simple and economical manner, a substantial increase in the cultivator speeds that can be achieved with such cultivators. Thus, a first important object of the present invention is to provide a soil deflector arrangement for cultivators which controls the flying soil in a simple manner so as to facilitate substantial increases in cultivating speeds without requiring further modifications of the cultivator equipment.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a soil deflector arrangement for cultivators which can be easily retrofitted to existing commercial cultivators.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a soil deflector arrangement for cultivators which is sturdy and reliable and still very economical to produce and install on multi-row cultivator equipment.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a soil deflector arrangement which minimizes adherence of the soil to the deflector and maximizes the life of the deflector with respect to abrasion caused by the flying soil continuously impacting against the deflector.
According to the invention, these and other objects are achieved by providing a deflector arrangement for cultivators of the type having cultivator shovels which cause upward flying movement of soil as the cultivator moves along the crop rows during cultivating operations. The deflector arrangement includes a deflector plate disposed above the cultivator shovel at a position above the local ground surface level during cultivating operations. The deflector plate deflects the flying soil thrown up by the cultivator shovel in especially preferred embodiments because it completely surrounds the shank and thereby deflects most, if not all, soil flowing upward and forces the soil to stay near local ground level. This allows for substantially increased cultivator operating speeds as compared to similar cultivators without the deflector plates.
It should be understood that the deflector plates of the present invention are not intended to replace the rolling shields and other vertical shields conventionally now available on most row crop cultivators. These deflector plates of the present invention are intended to supplement and enhance such conventional arrangements and facilitate higher cultivator speeds.
According to especially preferred embodiments of the invention, the deflector plate is constructed as a single solid unitary substantially flat plate for each of the respective cultivator shovels. By providing a unitary flat plate, the manufacturing costs are minimized, the installation steps required for installing the deflector plate on a cultivator shank are simplified, and a durable dimensionally stable deflector plate can be manufactured with reliable repeatability. In especially preferred embodiments, the deflector plate is simply made of a non-metallic material, preferably a plastic material with surface characteristics preventing adhesion of soil during operation.
According to especially preferred embodiments, the deflector plates are single circular pieces of plastic material which each have an aperture in the middle for accommodating a cultivator shank to which the plate is attached by a simple L-bracket bolted to the plate via through bolts and via a U-bolt to the shank. This construction is not only very economical and simple to manufacture, it is also very simple to reliably attach at the cultivator and to adjust at the cultivator.
Other preferred embodiments are contemplated wherein the deflector plate is formed by injection molding of plastic. In certain preferred embodiments, the deflector plate and attachment bracket for attaching to the cultivator shank are formed as two parts which fit together to form a deflector plate structure surrounding the cultivator shank.
In especially preferred contemplated embodiments, the deflector plates are inclined at an angle up to 20.degree. and preferably 5.degree. to 10.degree. with respect to the local horizontal, when in the in-use position during cultivating operations, with the front end being higher than the rear end. This inclination of the deflector plates assures that the front or leading edge goes over the top of existing rocks and dirt clumps in the field, while also providing a controlled smoothing of the soil being deflected and distributed between crop rows behind the associated cultivator shovel.
According to preferred embodiments, with multi-row cultivators having different size shovels, correspondingly different sized deflecting plates are provided for each of the shovels.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.